Health concerns to drive 2014 restaurant traffic trends

Consumers returned to their pre-recession restaurant spending levels this year, but they plan to cut back on restaurant visits and per-meal spending next year, a decision driven more by health concerns than money worries, according to AlixPartners. The growing focus on healthy eating is likely to pay off for chains including Chipotle, Sweetgreen and Veggie Grill whose menus and marketing focus on healthy dining, according to a separate forecast from Baum + Whiteman.